Report: Gambler tabs 13 NBA refs

Wed, 11/25/2009 - 7:02pm — Mike Petraglia

The NBA referee gambling scandal was rekindled on Wednesday night when a source indicated that 13 NBA officials had contact with a reputed gambler, according to a report by WHDH-TV[1]. "Well, I just hope it's not true," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said minutes after the report broke in Boston. "That's all I can say on it." Former NBA official Tim Donaghy served 15 months in federal prison for admitting he worked with gamblers to provide tips on NBA games. The source told 7News on Wednesday that gambler Jimmy 'The Sheep' Battista implicated 13 other officials. The first game Battista and Donaghy bet on together was the Celtics-76ers game in Dec. 2006 -- a game Donaghy officiated and a contest the Celtics covered easily. The source says Battista is making these claims as he works to finalize a tell-all book deal. For more, visit the Green Street[2] blog.